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MAD Magazine #126 was published in April 1969 by E.C. Publications and features a classic "Who Needs You?" Uncle Sam cover.
Issue Overview
* Cover Date: April 1969
* Cover Art: Norman Mingo (featuring a satirical Uncle Sam "I Want You" style spoof saying "Who Needs You?")
* Publisher: E.C. Comics / E.C. Publications
* Notable Creators: Contributions and art from legendary MAD mainstays including Don Martin, Mort Drucker, Dave Berg, Al Jaffee, Jack Davis, and Sergio Aragonés.
* Content: Features typical late-60s pop culture satire, humor pieces, and regular features like MAD's Color Puzzle Page by Al Jaffee and Bob Clarke.
#126 VF Condition
April 1969
Off White Pages
Back Cover “Fold In” has not been folded!
(Check Photos for more details)
MAD Magazine is a famous American humor and satire magazine launched in 1952 by editor Harvey Kurtzman and publisher William Gaines under E.C. Comics.
History and Overview
* Origins: It started as a four-color comic book before switching to a standard magazine format in 1955 to bypass strict comic book censorship rules.
* Publisher: It is currently published by DC Comics, a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Discovery.
* Peak Era: During the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s, circulation surged, peaking in 1974 with over two million copies sold per issue.
Iconic Features and Characters
* Mascot: The face of Alfred E. Neuman, featuring the recurring catchphrase "What, me worry?", became an iconic pop-culture symbol.
* Regular Segments: Famous recurring bits include Spy vs. Spy by Antonio Prohias, the back-cover Fold-In originally created by Al Jaffee, and sharp movie and TV parodies.
* The Creators: The magazine's staff and contributors were affectionately known as "The Usual Gang of Idiots".
We are conservative when grading comic books and magazines and try to match the grade (using grading scale below as a guide) to the item we have in front of us. You are offerding for the exact item(s) shown in the pictures.
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Comic Grading Guide
NEARMINT+ / MINT
* This is close to mint with few minor defects
* Interior pages are almost always off-white/white or better
VERY FINE / NEARMINT 9.0 TO 7.5
9.0 - VERY FINE / NEARMINT+
8.5 - VERY FINE+
8.0 - VERY FINE
7.5 - VERY FINE-
A VERY FINE comic book appears to have been read a few times and has been handled with care. These grades allow for some more defects than higher grades. Overall an above average copy and still very collectible.
* Some of the above defects along with a fold or crease in the cover that breaks color.
* Some stress marks on spine.
* A few small chips on the cover.
* The cover has some slight surface wear but still has much of its original gloss and there is nothing major wrong with it.
* Sun shadows, dust shadows and tanning can be darker and have more of a visual impact than those in higher grades.
FINE7.0 TO 5.5
7.0 FINE / VERY FINE
6.5 FINE+
6.0 FINE
5.5 FINE?
This comic is definitely a read copy with handling wear, but can still be a very desirable copy.
* This could have one major defect like a larger piece out of the cover, a long tear or a detached centerfold.
* It has stress lines on the spine and creases from the opening and closing of the cover.
* This could have a light reading or subscription crease or a rolled spine, but is not damaged enough to reduce eye appeal dramatically.
* Some cover discoloration, fading in colors and soiling is allowed.
* The cover and/or inside pages could have some tears and/or folds.
* With the absence of many other defects, the cover can be detached from one staple, but cover cannot be completely detached from interior.
* Books with slightly brittle pages cannot grade higher than 6.5 and generally are even lower in grade.
* Pages and inside covers could be brownish but not brittle.
* Depending on the look of the comic, very small amounts of tape could be acceptable in this grade.
VERY GOOD 5.0 TO 3.5
5.0 VERY-GOOD / FINE
4.5 VERY-GOOD+
4.0 VERY-GOOD
3.5 VERY-GOOD?
These books are complete, but can have major creases and a spine roll.
* Cover gloss can be very low or sometimes no gloss at all.
* The inside paper quality can be low and small pieces of the pages may be missing.
* Books with brittle pages cannot grade higher than 3.5 and generally are even lower in grade.
* Books in this grade are almost always creased, scuffed, abraded and soiled, but readable.
* A larger amount of tape is also allowed in this grade. (once again, CBCS does not recommend placing tape on a comic)
GOOD 3.0 TO 1.8
3.0 GOOD / VERY GOOD
2.5 GOOD+
2.0 GOOD
1.8 GOOD?
Good is really a misnomer, but one that is still readable with numerous defects.
* All the defects of a VG comic with more significant wear.
* The inside paper quality might not be good and pieces of the pages may be missing.
* Books in this grade are almost always creased, scuffed, abraded and soiled, but readable.
* Large pieces can be missing from the cover.
* Long or many spine splits are possible.
* The cover and pages many be detached but not missing and is still in a "collectible" grade.
* A significant amount of tape may have been applied to cover and pages.
* Book may be fragile.
FAIR 1.5 TO 1.0
1.5 FAIR / GOOD
1.0 FAIR
This book has seen much better days and tends to be heavily worn and tattered.
* A copy of a comic in this grade has all pages and most of the covers.
* A book in this condition is worn, ragged and unattractive.
* Heavy creases and folds are prevalent.
* Paper quality can be very low.
* The spine and/or cover may be completely split.
* Staples may be missing.
* Coupons cut from cover and or inside pages. Panels can be clipped out.
* Parts of the front cover may be missing.
* Soiling, staining, tears, markings or chunks missing will interfere with reading.
* Brittleness may be a factor.
* Extensive amounts of tape are acceptable on the comic in these grades.
POOR 0.5
It has major defects to the point that there is almost no collector value.
* Copies in this grade typically will have pages and/or the front cover or back cover may be missing.
* They may have severe strains or heavy cover abrasions to the point where cover inks are gone.
* Heavy defacing with paints, varnishes, glues, oil, indelible markers or dyes, etc.
* The inside pages can have extreme brittleness.
INCOMPLETE0.3 TO 0.1
(Covers / Coverless / Single Wraps or Pages)
These designations are only used for the purpose of authentication. Numerous collectors and comic fans will purchase coverless comics to either read or to obtain a filler copy of a book for their collection.
Books that are coverless, but are otherwise complete, will receive a grade of 0.3 from CBCS as will covers missing their interiors.
Coverless copies that have incomplete interiors, wraps or single pages will receive a grade of 0.1 from CBCS as will just front covers or just back covers.
* Copies in this designation typically will in most cases be beyond collectability to the majority of the hobby.
* Rare key comics and incomplete pages i.e. centerfolds are considered to be valuable by the collecting community for either restoration purposes or for individuals who just wish to own a piece of comic history.
